Electrical decoding and work actuating apparatus



H. G. SHIVELY July 16, 1957 ELECTRICAL DECODING AND WORK ACTUATING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 28, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 POWER P 1 T t 5 w w l m N 1 JHM I \W\ 0 M m H A MW MW Q W v x 1 .1 10 W: VZ JAVT M 5 W 76% W R R5 5% HM. V v I m v va H fi m h. A h A V4 4 5 a a R w v R m v HM v3 DM v3 c V V r v e a w A r 2;? R 2 x A h 5 5 W J" A a m A 0% 6T s Ls ELECTRICAL. DECODING AND WORK ACTUATING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 28. 1956 H. G. SHIVELY July 16, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fe.21b B ATTYI United States Patent Patented July 16, 1957 lice ELECTRICAL DECQDENG AND WQRK ACTUATHNG APPARATUS Harmon G. Shively, Akron, Qhio, assignor to The B. F. Goodrich Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 28, 1956, Serial No. 612,862

Claims. (Cl. 317-149) This invention relates to electrical means for controlling the operation of machinery automatically from a coded signal device such as a punched tape. As an example of the use of the device of this invention, auto matic tire building machines are now in operation, which machines have a relatively large number of work stations each of which requires properly timed operation of motors, valves, and the like at such stations. Prior control devices have incorporated a series of cams for control, which cams must be specially cut and synchronized in order to effect the desired control. As an example of one means to practice the invention, the use of a punched tape and an electronic decoding device will be explained which system replaces the aforesaid cams thereby making modifications in the programing of the machine and variations in the cycling of the operations readily attainable without the need for cutting new cams and adjusting them. Proposals have been made for decoding punched cards and tape wherein the sensing elements and their relays are cascaded, that is, the first bank will be a single dual sensing element that directs a signal to one of two dual elements in the second bank, the number of elements of each succeeding bank being doubled so that depending upon the code the signal takes a devious or shunted path from bank to bank. This means that the number of elements in each bank progressively increases and if these elements involve electron tubes the maximum voltage drop from the cathode of the tube in the first bank to the plates of the tubes in the final bank can become very high, rendering the circuits critical. The use of electron tubes, however, for the basic control is desirable in that they draw small current and are instantaneous in operation, thereby making available very small steps or increments of time for the minimum timing cycle of the apparatus.

A feature of this invention is that the pulse controlled control elements of each coding bank are all connected in parallel. Thus it vacuum tubes are employed as the pulse controlled elements, according to this invention all the control tubes of all the banks may have their plates connected in parallel to a common voltage source so that relay it controls will be energized for one and only one arrangement of holes and no holes in the tape passing under the sensing means. A detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention will follow a pre liminary description of the basic circuit elements, and the invention will be described in detail as a system designed for decoding a tape that can be punched in closely spaced transverse rows of from no holes in a row to six holes in a row and rows occurring at uniformly spaced positions along the tape.

In the drawings, Fig. l is a schematic drawing of the basic circuit showing a bank which has a single control element of each of the two types referred to. Fig. 2 is a schematic drawing of a six position circuit showing panels being made up of pairs of control banks for energizing and de-energizing a relay. Fig. 3 shows a tape segment that would cause the first panel of Fig. 2 to first close and then open the work actuating relay of the panel.

Brief description of the circuit The circuit of Fig. 1 illustrates the principles of a simple device made in accordance with the invention. The circuit includes a work actuating relay unit including an anode, or plate relay L1 for controlling load A, and an electron tube V1 which forms part of the relay unit. Also in the bank is a first type of pulse control device comprising a triode electron tube V2 and a second type the maximum voltage drop over these tubes is only that required for operation of a single tube rather than that required for a series of tubes in cascade. The elements in the control banks are of two types, the first of which will de-energize a relay when a signal pulse is applied to the input of the element whereas it permits the relay to energize when the signal input is grounded or brought to a lower potential. The second type operates in the reverse fashion. Thus if a punched tape is used as a code signal means the control elements of the first type will tie-energize the relay when a no hole appears under its sensing means whereas the control unit of the other type will de-energize the relay when a hole appears under its sensing means. Thus depending upon the number of control elements of each type in a given bank, and the inter-connection of the inputs of such elements, the sensing means of each bank can be arranged so that the comprising a pair of triode electron tubes V3, V4. The relay L1 is in the plate or anode circuit of tube V1 and receives plate voltage from a voltage source B2 which in the example is +320 volts D. C. The coil 11 of the relay attracts armature 12 causing contacts in the power line to energize the load A. In the example shown relay L1 is normally open but closes when tube V1 is conducting, which occurs when the grid of V1 is rendered positive with respect to its cathode. The grid of V1 is connected to the plate source B2, by a high value resistor R2 which in this example has a resistance of 10 megohms.

The plates of tubes V2 and V4. are connected to voltage source B1 of volts D. C. through a plate load resistor R3 of 270,000 ohms in this example and the cathode of relay tube V1 is connected to the plate load resistor R3 at point y. The tubes used and the values of the various resistors in the circuit appear in Table 1 below.

TABLE 1 or equivalent 10 meg. 270K.

It is noted that the plates of V2 and V4 are connected in parallel to the common plate resistor R3. The voltage source B1 is also connected by means of resistors R4 to the input circuits for the two types of control elements, there also being grid isolating resistors R5 in series with resistors Rt. In the first type of assembly comprising the tube V2, R5 leads directly to the grid of V2. In the second type of assembly another tube V3 is in the control or input circuit of tube V4, and V3 receives its plate voltage from source B1, via Re. A cathode bias voltage of +22 volts D. C. is supplied from source C1 to the cathodes of V2 and V3 and a cathode bias voltage of +70 volts D. C. is supplied to the cathode of V4. The grid of V4 is not connected to B1 as is that of V2 but is connected through resistor R7 to the plate of Va.

Sensing switches S1 and S2 are connected to the input circuits of each type of control unit. When these switches are open representing a no hole in the tape the input circuits are held positive with respect to the corresponding cathode by the +150 volt source B1 through resistors R4 and R5. When they are closed representing a hole in the tape, the inputs are grounded through common ground thereby lowering the bias on tubes V2 and V3 beyond cut off. The grid resistors R4 limit the current drawn from source B1 when the switches are closed.

Operation of the pulse controlled circuit of the first Assume that the V3, V4 unit is disconnected and that V2- is momentarily rendered non-conducting or cut oft. With control tube V2 cut off there is no voltage drop across its plate load resistor R3. The cathode potential of relay tube V1 at point y in Fig. l is at the B1 source voltage of +150 volts whereas the grid of V1 at point x is made positive respect to its cathode by the B2 source voltage of +320 volts. The grid of V1, being positive, draws some current through R2 so that the grid will not remain at +320 volts but will remain positive relative to the cathode of V Plate current now passes through the coil 11 of relay L1, closes contacts 12, and energizes the load A in the circuit shown in Fig. 1. Thus the relay closes when V2 is cut off.

If V2 is made to conduct there will be a voltage drop across its plate resistor R3 (which is 270,000 ohms) thereby placing point x which joins the plate of V2 and the grid of V1 at a lower potential than that of point y and the cathode of V1 which remain at the B1 source potential of +150 volts. It should be remembered that R2 connecting the grid of V1 to the 320 volt B2 source is of a very high resistance (10 megohms) so that once V2 conducts, grid resistance R2 is virtually an open circuit compared to R3, the plate load resistance (270,000 ohms) of conducting tube V2, hence a relatively large current will flow through R3 and the grid of V1 which is connected to the low potential side of R2 will become negative relative to its cathode thereby cutting ofi V1 and rendering it nonconducting. Thus the relay opens when V2 conducts, and as mentioned, closes when V2 is cut oil.

Whether or not control tube V2 conducts or is cut off depends upon the position of switch S1 in its grid input circuit. If S1 is open (no hole) as in Fig. l, the grid of control tube V2, being connected to +150 volts (B1) V1 can conduct and so energize the relay. Whether or not V4 conducts is controlled by another tube V3, the grid of which receives either a positive pulse signal from source B1 through resistors R4, R5, or a ground input signal through resistor R5 depending upon switch S2. When S2 is open, corresponding to a no hole" part of the tape, the grid of V3 is positive with respect to its cathode as explained in connection with tube V2, and V3 conducts creating a voltage drop across its plate load resistor R6 of about 100 volts. This places point z in the grid input circuit of V4 at about volts, as compared to the +70 volts bias on the cathode of from source C2. This cuts off V4 so that relay tube V1 can conduct and the relay is energized, unless other parts of the circuit are set to the contrary.

If S2 is closed, corresponding to a hole in the tape, the grid of Va is grounded and, hence, is negative relative to the cathode which is at +22 volts bias so that V: is cut off. Now there is no voltage drop through the V3 plate resistor Rs so that point z and, hence, the grid of V4 is made positive relative to the +70 volts cathode bias causing V4 to conduct. The grid resistor R7 ofV4 controls the grid current so that the grid remains sufficiently positive to keep the tube conducting without becoming positive enough to burn out the tube V4. As mentioned, this causes a voltage drop across the common plate load resistor R3 and places the grid of V1 in the relay unit at a lower potential than its cathode, and V1 is cut off and the relay de-energized. Thus the effect of the grid input switch S2 on the V3, V4 unit is just the reverse of the efifect of switch $1 on the V2 unit, in that in the V3, V4 unit the relay is energized with the switch open (no hole) and de-energized when the switch is closed (hole").

Operation of the units in parallel Since the outputs or plates of the first and second type units are both connected in parallel to point x, either S1 or S2 can be positioned to cause V2 or V4, respectively, to conduct and cut off V1 thereby de-energizing the relay, regardless of the fact that the other switch may be set to permit V1 to conduct which would otherwise energize the relay. Thus of the four possible combinations of positions of switches S1 and S2 in Fig. 1 only condition 4, as

through resistance R4, is made positive relative to its 45 giveninTable 2below, will energize the relay.

TABLE 2 S1 52 V2 4 V1 Relay 1 0pm.... 0pm.... Conducts- Cutofim. Qutofi (by V2) Dc-energized. 2 Olosed. Olosed Gutott.. Conducts Cutofi (Byvdn. Do. 3 Open... Closed" Conducts. Conducts. Gutdog)(by V1 Do.

4"... ClosetL. Open. Cutofi Outofi Conducts Energized.

cathode which is at +22 volts, (C1) causing V2 to conduct, cutting off relay tube V1 and the relay opens. If switch S1 is grounded (hole), then the grid of control tube V2 is placed at ground potential and is therefore rendered 22 volts negative relative to the positively biased cathode of V2. Thus under this hole condition, V2 is cut off, there is no voltage drop across R3 tending to lower V1 grid potential and relay tube V1 can conduct, energizing the relay. To summarize, the V2 type pulse controlled unit working alone would de-energize the relay with S1 open (no hole) and permit it to be energized with S2 closed, (hole).

Operation of the pulse controlled unit of the second type (V3, V4)

The plate of V4 is also connected to point x leading to the common plate load resistor R3 the point being connected both to the low potential end of plate resistor R3 and to the grid of relay tube V1 in the relay unit, so the efiect of V4 itself on the circuit is the same as that of V2, namely when V4 conducts, relay tube V1 is cut off and the relay is de-energized, and when V4 is cut ofl, relay tube In the circuit of Fig. l, the pulse input signals from the switches S1 and S2 can be connected in parallel with the inputs of three other pairs of control units at points a and d of Fig. 1. These units would include one unit like that of Fig. l with the connections to a and d crossed, a unit having two V2 units, and a unit having two V3, V4 units. In the first case, condition 3 of Table 2 will operate the relay in the other composite unit and no other relay, condition 2 in the table will operate the relay in the two V2 unit, and no other relay, and condition 1 will operate the relay in the two V3, V4 unit, and no other relay.

A system for a six hole tape Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of one panel P1 and part of another panel P2 designed for six hole tape operation with the parts arranged to employ a maximum number of similar panels thereby reducing the number of spare panels required for maintenance. There are first and second type pulse controlled circuits in the panels like those in Fig. 1 in that the plates of the V2 and V4 tubes are connected to the grid of relay tube V1 as Well as to the common plate load resistor R3, which resistor in turn connects to the cathode of relay tube V1. The power supply and the sensing switches S1 to S6 are wired separately from the panel so that simple point to point connections between panels are all that are required and each panel will be like the other except for the number of V2 or V3, V4 type of units within the panel. Each panel has two banks of tubes, banks C and D. Bank C includes a work actuating relay L2 which has one section 13 having contacts that are normally open for controlling a normally off work load A, and section 13 may have another set of contacts that are normally closed for controlling another work load B that is normally on. One or both of these arrangements may be provided as required. Relay L2 also has a section 14 that establishes a holding circuit for the relay, as will be explained.

The sensing switches S1, S2, etc., ride on a tape T which is perforated in accordance with the control code, and when a hole appears at any switch, it is grounded through the metal backing plate 15. The tape moves in a plane perpendicular to the paper in Fig. 2. The input circuits from sensing switches S1 to S6 not only go to the control tubes in the two banks in the panel P1 but the panel P1 has bus connections a to f for connection to the input circuits in a succeeding panel, P2. The same applies to the input circuits of panel P2 which connect to a third panel, etc. Several variations in panel arrangement are possible. The tubes of a control unit in each bank may be all of the first type, (V2) all of the second type, (V3, V4) or any combination of both types. Also, each of the input busses a to 7 may connect by suitable strapping to any one of the six input circuits of the succeeding panel as indicated by the dot-dash arrows at these connections to the right of panel P1.

Bank C, the work actuating bank, has its relay L2 arranged to be self-holding. Whenever the relay L2 is energized, a connection from the plate side of the relay coil to line 16 is made which completes a circuit through the normally closed contacts 17 of relay L3 in bank D. As can be seen from the diagram, this completes a circuit through line 18, the power supply section B2, line 19, and the coil of relay L2, thereby holding the relay L2 closed. However, it can be seen that when relay tube V1 in the relay unit of bank D is energized, the normally closed holding contacts 17 of relay Ls are opened and the circuits previously established to hold relay L2 closed is broken so that L2 is de-energized, assuming of course, that relay tube V1 for relay L2 is not conducting. Thus bank C will make or break a given load circuit A or B under one code and bank D will reverse the condition of the same load circuits under a different code.

Panel arrangements A section of a six hole tape appears in Fig. 3. The tape is propelled intermittently by mechanisms that are known in the art by means of a line of punched holes 21. A writer is provided so that holes can be punched in the tape in any transverse row in lateral alignment with a drive hole 21, there being provisions for six positions in the rows corresponding to the position of switches S1 to S6. These switches are actually small spring pressed rods that complete the ground circuit when they ride over a hole in the tape, the timing depending upon the service, but it being common for a cycle of one start and stop of the tape to require but a fraction of a second.

In Fig. 3 a row of holes 22 is shown wherein three "holes appear opposite switches S1 to S3 and there are no holes opposite switches S4 to S6. In bank C of panel P1 Fig. 2, the three holes will render all of the V2 type control units non-conducting because the grid inputs to tubes V2 are all grounded. On the other hand, since there are no holes under sensing switches S4 to S6 the grid input circuits of the three V3 trigger tubes remain positive relative to their cathodes causing all V3 tubes to conduct and thereby cutting off all V4 tubes. Thus all the tubes V2 and V4, connected in parallel to R3, are non-conducting so that the grid of relay tube V1 may become positive relative to its cathode, and thus render tube V1, conducting to energize the relay L2. This is the only combination and arrangement of holes and no holes in the tape that will energize the relay L2 in bank C of panel P1. Similarly, since bank D of panel P1 has four V2 type units and two V3, V4 type units, only the exact arrangement of four holes 23, and two no holes, shown in Fig. 3 to the right, will energize bank D of panel P1 to energize relay L3 and thus open the normally established holding circuit for relay L2.

it is desirable to have a minimum number of difierent types of panels and the combinations available with a six hole tape are as shown in Table 3.

Each arrangement of the first and second type control units in a. bank has a different number of possible combinations or codes. As shown in the table, 63 codes, each of which will cause only one arrangement of tubes in a bank to energize its relay are possible with a six hole tape. Since there is always a space between a given row of coded holes in the tape, the all blank or all no hole combination of six V3, V4 type units is not used because in such a combination the corresponding relay could be energized each time the tape is shifted from row to row of holes.

Table 4 shows how 40 codes can be sensed with only two different types of panels, and two more difl'erent types of panels will produce 62 different codes. This arrangement reduces to three the number of types of spare panels necessary for maintenance.

The preferred embodiment (vacuum tube) form of the device can be made to respond precisely and dependably to the signals produced at the fractional second intervals typical of the tape reading machines currently available. Reference to Fig. 2 shows that since all the plates of each bank are connected in parallel across their voltage sources the total voltage difference across the entire machine need not exceed that required to operate a single tube. It makes the machine safe and not subject to break down as opposed to the cascade type of circuit. Wiring oi the panels can almost be standardized and many of the panels will be alike, care only being required in the strapping of the input circuit assemblies from panel to panel. With this circuit also the conducting or; non-c ducting conditions are readily made non-critical, so that despite progressive changes in circuit and tube constants dependability of operation is maintained. The filaments in each bank are preferably wired in series so that failure of one tube in a bank prevents relay operation. However, the filament wiring forms no part of this invention, is not illustrated, and can be modified in accordance with standard practice.

Having completed a detailed description of a preferred embodiment; of this invention so that those skilled in the art an. p ac i e he same, l im;

1. Electrical decoding and work actuating apparatus comprising a plurality of control banks, said banks each comprising an electrically controlled relay unit, first and second types of electric pulse-controlled devices all having their outputs connected in parallel with one another and connected to said relay unit, each pulse-controlled device having an input for receiving an electric pulse signal, means in the first type of said pulse-controlled device for supplying a de-energizing signal to said relay unit upon application of an electric pulse to. the input of said device, means in the second type of said pulse-controlled devices for applying an energizing signal to said relay unit upon application of a pulse to the input of said device, said electrically controlled relay unit including means for causing a signal from any of one of said types of device to always override any opposite signals from the other type devices, regardless of how many of said opposite type of signals are impressed upon said parallel circuit to said relay unit, the input of each pulsecontrolled device of each bank being selectively connected in parallel with one input of a pulse-controlled device in each of the other banks, and means for selectively applying input pulses to each set of parallel connected inputs.

2. Electrical decoding and work actuating apparatus comprising a plurality of control banks, said banks each comprising an electrically controlled relay unit, first and second types of electric pulse-controlled devices all having their outputs connected in parallel with one another and connected to said relay unit, each pulse-controlled device having an input for receiving an electric pulse signal, means in the first type of said pulse-controlled device for supplying a rte-energizing signal to said relay unit upon application of an electric pulse to the input of said device, means in the second type of said pulsecontrolled devices for applying an energizing signal to said relay unit upon application of a pulse to the input of said device, said electrically controlled relay unit including means for causing a signal from any of one of said types of device to always override any opposite signals from the other type devices, regardless of how many of said opposite type of signals are impressed upon said parallel circuit to said relay unit, the input of each pulsecontrolled device of each bank being selectively connected in parallel with one input of a pulse-controlled device in each of the other banks, and means for selectively applying input pulses to each set of parallel connected inputs, said banks being arranged in pairs with relay unit of one pair being a work controlling relay and the relay of the other pair being a holding relay for said work controlling relay.

3. Electrical decoding and work actuating apparatus comprising a plurality of control banks, said banks each comprising an electrically controlled relay unit each relay unit comprising an electron relay tube and a plate circuit relay, said relay tube having a grid connected through a grid resistor to a plate voltage source and a cathode connected to a lower voltage source rendering the tube normally conducting, said banks also comprising first and second types of electric pulse-controlled circuits each comprising an electron control tube with the plates of the tubes connected in parallel, said parallel connected plates being connected to the cathode of said relay tube through a p ateload. resisto o ow e an e han a i e i o o id e ay ube r d, a d Par l o n ted p tesls b ng co ne e to h r d a d el y u e. circuit means forrendering the control tubes of said first p m ll con u ti h y n r n a lay tube non-conducting dueto the voltage drop across the control tube plate load resistor that is connected in the cathode circuit of said relay tube, circuit means for rendering the control tubes of the second type normally non-conducting thereby permitting said relay tube to conduct unless it has been cut oil, input circuit means for selectively rendering said first type control tubes nonconducting thereby permitting said relay tube to conduct unless it has been out 01f, input circuit means for selectively rendering said second type control tubes conducting thereby rendering said relay tube non-conducting due to the voltage drop cross, the resistance in the plate resistor connected to the cathode circuit of said relay tube, and the input. circuit means of each pulse-controlled circuit in. each bank beingselectively connected in parallel with one input circuit means of the other banks.

4. Electrical decoding and work actuating. apparatus, comprising a plurality of control. banks, said banks each comprising an electrically controlled relay unit, each relay unit comprising an electron relay tube and a plate circuit relay, circuit means torender said relay tube normally conducting, said banks also com-prising first and second types of electric pulse-controlled circuits each comprising an electron control tube with the plates of the tubes connected in parallel, said parallel connected plates being connected to said relay unit tube by circuit means that cuts oil said relay tube when, any of said control tubes conduct, circuit means for rendering the control tubes of said first type normally conducting thereby rendering said relay tube non-conducting, circuit means for rendering the control tubes of the second type normally non-conducting thereby permitting said relay tube to conduct unless it has been cut oil, input circuit means for rendering said first type. control tubes non-conducting on receipt of a pulse thereby permitting said relay unit tube to conduct unless it has. been cut ofi, input circuit means for rendering said second type control tubes conducting on receipt of a pulse thereby rendering said relay tube non-conducting, means for selectively applying pulses to or grounding said input circuit means of said control tubes, the control tube plates of said banks being connected in parallel, and the input circuit means of each control tube in each bank being selectively connected in parallel with one input circuit means of each of the other banks,

5. Electrical decoding and work actuating apparatus comprising a plurality of control banks, said banks each comprising an electrically controlled relay unit, each relay unit comprising an electron relay tube and a plate circuit relay, said relay tube having a grid connected through a grid resistor to a plate voltage source and a cathode connected to a lower voltage source rendering the tube normally conducting, said banks also comprising first and second types of electric pulse-controlled circuits each comprising an electron control tube with the plates of the tubes connected in parallel, said parallel connected plates being connected to the grid of said relay tube and to the cathode of said relay tube through a plate load resistor of lower resistance than the grid resistor of said relay tube grid, 2, connection from said lower voltage source to the grids of the control tubes of said first type to render said tubes normally conducting thereby rendering said relay tube non-conducting due to the voltage drop across the. control tube plate load resistor that is connected in the cathode circuit of said relay tube, an electron trigger tube having its plate connected to said lower voltage source through a resistance and a connection from the plate of said trigger tube to the grid of a control tube of the second type, a cathode bias voltage source for the cathode of said trigger tube, a voltage source connected to the grid of said trigger tube to render said trigger tube normally conducting, the voltage on the grid of said control tube being less than its cathode voltage with said trigger tube conducting thereby rendering the control tube non-conducting and thereby permitting said relay tube to conduct unless it has been cut off, input circuit means for selectively grounding the grids of said first type control tubes and said trigger tubes, said input circuit means of each tube in each bank being selctively connected in parallel with one input circuit means of each of the other banks.

References Cited in the file of this patent 

